A simple plan--use 2.5 inch strips around a central square. Use only variations of two colors--I used lime green and pink for this one. When all the blocks are made you slice them into quarters--add black sashings and sew them back together. Simple but very effective.

I found this in an old magazine I bought at the quilt show. I'm thinking of making enough for one quilt over the next year. Please see everyone's posts at So Scrappy.

More album blocks to round out my colors--

Black/dark blue

Reds with navy dots

Reds and cream

How did this weeks goals fare?

Finish 30's border and prepare a backing--top done but no backing

Prepare backing for another UFO--nope

Work on Star Struck--yes

Finish small guild class project--no

I was able to do some quilting--

Milky Way

After tossing the gauntlet down I decided I better do some quilting!

Has this happened to you? I have a finished quilt "somewhere". Ken and I have looked everywhere for it. Well, obviously not EVERYWHERE or we would have found it. But while looking for the quilt I found three more tops to quilt. And I brought home a QOV from guild to quilt.

While staying with LB and family I did a little shopping. Some fabric to declare on my stash report tomorrow, but also bought a 6,000yd cone of poly wrap white thread. I use a lot of white when I quilt and I don't want to stop and wait for a thread order when I'm quilting! The Princess doesn't like 100% cotton thread. Too much stress to use as the top thread--high speed, turns on points etc and it breaks easily. I can use it in the bobbin with no problem. So I'm working at the thread stash using what I can as a bottom thread. 90% of my quilting is done using a white or off white thread. I so regret buying all the variegated I have! Life is a "live and learn" process.

This week I worked with the "found" 30's blocks (broken dishes pattern) from last winter--

They were partially set together with alternating white blocks and I didn't like that anymore--too much white. I instead whacked them apart and now I call them "30's Streamers"--remember the crepe paper you would hang from the ceiling to decorate with?? One last border to put on and it will be a finished top to quilt. Please see everyone's Design Wall Posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Finish 30's border and prepare a backing

Prepare backing for another UFO

Work on Star Struck

Finish small guild class project

That is a nice variety for the next week.

We're been busy preparing for winter. Yesterday we worked outside cleaning the flower beds, putting away lawn chairs, pulling down the vines from the deck and pergola. I still want to tackle pruning back the lilacs on the lot we bought next door, no one has done that for many years. Does anyone have any advice on how or whether to do this? I want to trim them back to four foot, they shield us from the street and west winds. There are a lot of dead branches to be taken out. I am hoping this will revitalize them.

Last week I bought a lovely Cinderella pumpkin--

I try to grow them but this year the growing season was too short--they need 125 days. I bought this one--I had never seen them in the store before. Its a variety grown for eating and cooking.

I felt bad doing this to it--

Much easier to cut using a hammer to tap the knife.

It was a big pumpkin--22# and yielded 12 pints of pumpkin puree. Stephenie from Australia told me they grow like WEEDS there and other than roasting with other veggies they aren't eaten much. Pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread (much better than banana bread) and pumpkin cake and bars are popular at our house and pretty much in all of the USA. Do you use pumpkin in cooking?? Is it a USA only thing?

I threw the gauntlet down on Stashbusters--I challenged everyone to join me in a sewing/quilting marathon. My goals are five tops quilted by January 1st and a total of 12 by May 1st. Its a steep goal--I only have four tops ready to quilt. But I'm going to try! Would you like to join me? Do you have projects you want to finish or need a set goal date for? Maybe a UFO languishing in a box--you still love it but just haven't had the nudge to work on it! This is what I see when I press--my shelves are directly in front of my ironing board--

Can you hear them? They are yelling ''LET ME OUT--WORK ON ME NEXT!!!" Do you have a project calling you??

I will wash it if its dirty--coffee just doesn't taste the same from another cup. I like the shape and the design. I wish I had whole set of Corelle dishes in this pattern. Bought a couple at Goodwill--they were just odd cups. Ken thinks its terribly strange, but he adds sugar to his coffee, and nothing ruins my day faster than to be half awake, take a big swig of coffee and its SWEET!!! Aaackkk!

Another lovely fall day. I'm not sure what Ken has planned for today. There is so much to do outside yet. I'm waiting for a hard frost to mow/clean my flower beds.

A few pictures from Halloween at Laura Beth's--

Maxwell as a Lion

Maxwell is always happy. Laura Beth said if she'd had Maxwell first she might have wanted 20 kids!

Tiny pieces! Not really "my thing" but I'd like to finish it just to say I CAN! There are 12 stars, doll quilt size--20x25". Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals-

Finish Little LeMoyne Stars

Album Blocks

Quilt Milky Way

Lozenges

Work on a UFO

That will give me variety for the week. I threw down the gauntlet on Stashbusters--my goal is 12 tops quilted by May 1st. I only have four tops ready to quilt, that means I have to finish eight more projects! YIKES!! Anyone want to join me??

A few pictures from the weekend--

Lorri2Rs and I

Lorri2rs and I attended the luncheon/trunk show together.

Me and Trail Mix

Quilting done with yard added

I'm not sure how this quilting was done--but yard was added with the quilting. It was lovely!

My purchases

I didn't spend much, about $20 on used books/magazines and 3 bags of scraps. I feel bag that I didn't support the vendors but really saw nothing I needed.

13 quilts on my wagon

When I submitted my entries I didn't think about how the quilts were going to get to the quilt show. All needed to be gone over for threads and an identification label made and sewn on. They all were nicely folded with the label on top. They left piled on my wagon like an overloaded donkey! The guild show is very well organized--set up and tear down went fast! Hats off to the people organizing it!

This week is a catchup week, outside chores, etc. The weather will be very nice for this time of year, I need to take advantage of it.